An unprecedented number of online scams are expected on July 12 for Amazon Prime Day. Americans lost a record $5.8 billion to online scams in 2021 — up 40% from pre-pandemic losses of $3.5 billion in 2019.

According to Social Catfish’s State of Internet Scams study based on data from the FTC and FBI to raise awareness and help consumers stay safe online, online shopping was the #4  most common type of online scam — behind business email compromise, romance, and investment – and can cause irreparable financial harm.

Online scams tend to increase during heavy periods of online shopping such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. This year, supply chain issues, product scarcity, and economic fears will create even more opportunities for scammers to lure consumers in with great deals.

Here are 3 Online Scams to Avoid on Amazon Prime Day:

1. Fake Amazon Websites:  The FTC labeled Amazon the most impersonated The fake sites are sophisticated and look nearly identical but may have a one letter difference in the URL. Social media ads offering great deals will drive you to this fraudulent website. When you “buy” a product and give your banking and personal information, the product never arrives, and you become an identity theft victim.  

         How to Avoid:

•  Make sure the URL is spelled correctly and starts with “HTTPS” and not “HTTP”.
• Never give personal information, click on links, or download any software.

    2. Suspicious Amazon Account Activity: Scammers reach out via email, text or phone claiming there are issues with your account. They ask to verify your credit card and login information and may ask  you to install software so they can remote access your computer for support.  This is a scam that will lead

      How to Avoid:

• Go directly to Amazon’s website and contact support directly.
• Avoid suspicious email handles such as ‘Amazon.info’ and do a reverse search to see if the email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses are real.

  3. Sold-Out Products Scam: Beware of social media ads and unsolicited messages offering once-in-a-lifetime deals on products that are sold out everywhere else due to supply chain issues.

      How to Avoid:

• Do research on the company and read customer reviews.
• Remain vigilant if deals are too good to be true.
• Poor grammar usually means it is a scam.